Fang Xun

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Fang Xun (方询)
Alias(es)	Shensi; “Fortuitous Creation” 102
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Great Qian; Dong Chunqiu's Confucian lineage
Occupation/Role	Cold Mountain County Magistrate; East Mountain Town Garrison Commander; East Mountain Pacification Commissioner
Status	Deceased; his puppet body was consumed by Heavenly Dao Severed Qi after he burned its remaining life essence 148
First Appearance	Chapter 6

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Mid-stage Spirit Sense	33	His official seal raised his effective strength close to late-stage Spirit Sense.
Spiritual Resonance Realm, middle grade	148, 183	Led East Mountain officials against Heavenly Dao Severed Qi; later described as having reached middle-grade Spiritual Resonance in life.

History

Cold Mountain County

Fang Xun was a former Sacred Capital official who had been demoted to Cold Mountain County. He turned the exposure of the Great Xiang remnant plot into a path back to prominence, personally interrogating Xiong Jin with the Golden Cocoon and claiming credit for the capture. His merit secured him the ninth-rank title of Fifth Grand Master and an appointment as Clerk of the Household Office under the Left Chancellor's residence. 9 16

His ambition was repeatedly complicated by Yu Niang's return while pregnant with his child. Though initially enraged, he recognized the political danger of mistreating her and chose to keep her under care. Their son, Huan'er, was later born and bound to Fang Xun through a blood ritual. 17 22

While assisting the Changle Marquis's search beneath Cold Mountain, Fang Xun learned that Cold Mountain Grass grew along the path of the wandering Cold Mountain Soul. He selected laborers for her expedition, then later sought to exploit those laborers and their knowledge of spirit plants for his own gain. 18 21

Li Shun's presentation of a Cold Mountain Lord drew Fang Xun's attention to his talent with the Spirit-Splitting Life-Creation Technique. Fang Xun raised Li Shun's status, employed him to tend the plant, taught him the Twelve Longevity Method, and gave him the original Spirit-Splitting Life-Creation Technique scroll. 24 25 28 30

During Cold Mountain's flood and miasma crisis, Fang Xun prioritized the Bright Light Formation's defensive capacity and his search for Xiong Jin's nephew over activating its purification function. After realizing that the supposed rebel capture had been undermined, he intended to suppress the truth and eliminate witnesses before leaving for the capital. 33 36

Yu Niang ultimately confronted him over his attempt to silence loose ends, including their son. She detonated her own body at close range, leaving Fang Xun mortally wounded and with the lower half of his body destroyed. 42

Puppet of Square Inch

Li Shun found Fang Xun dying in the snow and offered him survival and revenge. After healing his injuries within Square Inch, Li Shun made him a puppet and gained access to his memories, including knowledge of the Twelve Longevity Method and its seven cultivation realms. 45

Using Fang Xun's identity, Li Shun contacted Dong Chunqiu and secured Fang Xun's demotion to mausoleum guard in East Mountain Town rather than execution. Fang Xun later publicly accepted Li Shun as a disciple, providing him with a legitimate place within Dong Chunqiu's lineage. 47 57 59

Li Shun eventually exposed Fang Xun and Zhao Cheng for sending him into the Imperial Tomb's sealed earth to retrieve Lu Tinglan's armor. He severed their master-disciple bond, though Fang Xun repeatedly sought forgiveness and Li Shun later accepted his apologies. 94 97 98

East Mountain and Final Sacrifice

Fang Xun retained official influence in East Mountain, becoming Pacification Commissioner over thirteen counties. His position was protected in part by Duanmu Qiuche's support, but Yin Fengshuo's appointment as commandery governor placed his old enemy directly above him. 101 103

When Fang Han was accused of accepting bribes to favor wealthy refugees, Fang Xun imprisoned his own nephew to preserve impartiality. He later recognized Fang Han's unusual resistance to tribulation qi and intended for Li Shun to guide the boy's studies and cultivation. 132 145

Yin Fengshuo's pressure, delayed relief supplies, and spreading accusations drove East Mountain toward unrest. The Heaven's Lifespan Lock Tribulation further attempted to reshape Fang Xun's mind into the greedy official described by the rumors, but he resisted the alteration at physical cost. 143 145

When Heavenly Dao Severed Qi overwhelmed East Mountain, Fang Xun led officials in a futile defense. He then burned all remaining life essence to force the black qi back and shield the refugees, remaining in place until he was swallowed by the Severed Qi. 148

Li Shun returned to investigate the disaster, wrote a funeral oration exposing Yin Fengshuo's conduct, and helped establish Fang Xun's posthumous reputation as East Mountain's loyal martyr. Fang Xun received a robe-and-cap burial because no remains were recovered. 149 150

Personality

Fang Xun maintained a refined, calm official demeanor even while pursuing ruthless objectives. He could rapidly infer hidden motives—such as Xiong Jin's reason for seeking Cold Mountain Venerable—and was adept at presenting ambition as public duty. 8 9

His desire for rank, wealth, and a secure future for Huan'er often overrode his judgment. He kept rewards intended for laborers, planned to exploit Cold Mountain Grass, and became consumed by the prospect of capturing another Great Xiang imperial descendant for merit. 21 24

Failure exposed a far more fearful and desperate side. Once his political future seemed threatened, he considered murdering witnesses and relying on Cold Mountain County's isolation to conceal the truth. 36

His final stand transformed his public legacy. Despite his earlier failings and the puppet nature of his later existence, East Mountain remembered him for refusing to retreat before the Heavenly Dao Severed Qi. 148 149

Abilities & Skills

Confucian Character Arts

Fang Xun wielded principle qi through written characters formed in the air.

• Formed a “key” character to open a residence protected by restrictions. 9
• Created a “pursue” character that became tracking ink-birds, though the technique failed after the target's aura was erased. 9
• Used Confucian doctrine and written characters to impose crushing restraint on a powerful intruder. 34
• His official seal augmented his mid-stage Spirit Sense cultivation to near late-stage effectiveness. 33

Twelve Longevity Method Knowledge

Fang Xun possessed extensive experience with Great Qian's longevity cultivation.

• Personally imparted the Twelve Longevity Method to Li Shun after Li gained noble status. 25
• His memories allowed Li Shun to cultivate the Mortal Embryo Realm with the familiarity of repeated practice. 59 60
• Revealed that borrowed lifespan must eventually be repaid through tribulations and explained the method's seven cultivation realms. 45

Square Inch Puppet State

After Chapter 45, Fang Xun existed as Li Shun's puppet within Square Inch.

• His injuries were healed before his conversion into a puppet. 45
• The puppet body did not suffer fatigue, allowing uninterrupted administrative work during Yin Fengshuo's campaign of attrition. 143
• Li Shun altered the puppet using Shentu Xin's Life-Qi Furnace trait, increasing life-qi activity while imposing a lifespan cost and giving Fang Xun a crazed aura. 79
• The body could still be destroyed; it was ultimately consumed after its life essence was exhausted. 148

Administration and Political Maneuvering

• Managed Cold Mountain County's official response to rebellion, disaster relief, and reconstruction. 9 36
• Was assigned responsibility for the administration of East Mountain's thirteen counties and the resettlement of millions of refugees. 103 143
• Investigated corruption among yamen runners after a disguised expert exposed their extortion of migrants. 108

Equipment

• Golden Cocoon — A torture and restraint device used to bind Xiong Jin; its threads contracted into his flesh to force information from him. 9
• Official Seal — Enhanced Fang Xun's combat strength while he was at the Spirit Sense Realm. 33
• Divine-Communing Incense — Unearthed from the destroyed Cold Mountain County yamen; used to contact Dong Chunqiu and repair Fang Xun's injuries. 47

Relationships

• Li Shun — Initially a laborer Fang Xun sought to employ for spirit-plant cultivation. Li Shun later saved and converted Fang Xun into a Square Inch puppet, became his nominal disciple, exposed his betrayal, and eventually accepted his repeated apologies. 28 45 59 94 98
• Yu Niang — Fang Xun's former wife and the mother of Huan'er. Their relationship deteriorated after he refused to formalize her position and attempted to protect his career over their family; her suicide attack left him dying. 18 22 42
• Huan'er — Fang Xun's son with Yu Niang. Fang Xun's concern for the child's future intensified his pursuit of status and merit. 22 24
• Dong Chunqiu — Fang Xun's master. Dong Chunqiu demoted him to guarding the mausoleum after the Cold Mountain disaster but did not abandon him entirely. 47 57
• Yin Fengshuo — Political rival and eventual superior in Old Tomb Commandery. Yin secretly aided the scheme against Fang Xun, spread damaging rumors, and later pressured East Mountain through official channels and supply delays. 45 85 103 144
• Sun Chengyou — Senior official and patron who informed Fang Xun of the East Mountain Pacification Commissioner's appointment and warned him that future survival depended on his own ability. 101 102
• Fang Han — Fang Xun's nephew. Fang Xun imprisoned him over bribery allegations, later released him after recognizing the accusation was false, and came to value his extraordinary potential. 132 144 145
• Zhao Cheng — Fellow disciple who discussed court affairs with Fang Xun and worked with him to secure Lu Tinglan's armor for Duanmu Qiuche's breakthrough. 85 94
• Changle Marquis — A powerful noblewoman whose favor Fang Xun unsuccessfully sought. She warned him not to betray Yu Niang and later used Cold Mountain laborers for her search for the Cold Mountain Soul. 16 18